Snow on Fire
by nc99
Summary: Draco and Ginny are sent to spy in a Russian castle together, posing as a newly married couple.  Will sworn enemies turn into something more? Post-Hogwarts, DG.
1. The Assignment

Disclaimer: Characters belong to JK Rowling.

Chapter 1: The Assignment

Ginny Weasley entered the atrium of the Ministry of Magic with a spring in her step. Today was the first day of her new job; now fully qualified as a Healer after three long years, she was entering the Ministry to be a Healer among Magical Law Enforcement. This, she considered, was fulfilling her life's ambition, combining her passion for healing with the excitement of espionage and battle.

Tossing her pony tail of glossy red hair over the other shoulder, she smiled at the receptionist, asking politely for a man named Henry Dufont.

"Third floor, second office on the right, darling," the blond replied, looking up at her in slight surprise.

Nearly fifteen minutes and several wrong turns later she found herself outside a large mahogany door, adorned with a gold plaque saying **Sir Henry Dufont, Minister for Magical Law Enforcement and Matters of Highest Secrecy. **She rapped the gold, phoenix shaped knocker purposefully three times.

"Come in," announced a deep voice.

Despite dressing in her best work clothes and spending a darn sight longer on her hair than she normally would, on entering the office, complete with chandelier and drinks cabinet, Ginny felt remarkably shabby. Unconsciously straightening her cream blouse in the hope that it would iron itself, Ginny introduced herself and offered her hand. "Hello, I'm Ginevra Weasley, recently graduated as a Healer, and this is my first day here in Law Enforcement. I was told to report to you, and I'm terribly sorry if I have the wrong person, but..."

Sir Henry looked kindly up at her over a pair of reading glasses; he was wearing a very formal Muggle suit, and his jet black hair was shot with grey. "Ah yes, Miss Weasley, a pleasure to meet you. May I get you a drink? Gin and tonic?"

"Oh, well," Ginny stammered, taken aback and uncertain what the correct response was considering it was her first day on the new job, but she recovered herself thinking that she might as well make the most of any perks the job had to offer, "that would be lovely, thank you."

Sir Henry went over to the drinks cabinet and busied himself with the beautiful glass decanters. He examined her briefly over the top of his glasses, leaving Ginny feeling terribly self conscious under his scrutiny, until he smiled kindly once again, his eyes twinkling and handed her a glass.

"You may be surprised at this rather unusual reception in my office, but I received your papers from your mentor, one of my staff, and have decided on an important assignment for you under my personal supervision. I apologise for not having had the chance to introduce you to your team, but due to the immediate nature of this assignment, time has not allowed for the usual settling in period. I do hope you'll forgive me."

Ginny smiled politely, and sat down in one of the faded maroon leather armchairs. "Of course."

"If I may, I will start with some background. My position as Minister for Law Enforcement does not just involve the management of the hundreds of members of the squad and Aurors, but also to take a personal interest in the more sensitive matters regarding international security. Spy work, if you wish to put it bluntly. Now, it is a rare occasion that we get female members of the squad, especially ones as lovely as yourself..."

XXXXX

Draco Malfoy also found himself outside Sir Henry Dufont's door exactly two hours after Ginny Weasley left. It had been a particularly tedious morning in his office, and the failure of his team to secure a petty criminal for his third magical secrecy offense resulted in the sacking of one especially slovenly member of his staff and sending his secretary off crying to the lavatories. He had not attained his title as the youngest (and most feared) member of the Ministry Executive Committee without reason.

He bypassed the ridiculous phoenix shaped door knocker and strode into the room heading straight for the drinks cabinet, admiring his reflection in the glass as he did so.

"Henry, remind me never to allow my secretary to hire my staff for me again. Women are secretaries simply because they do not have two brain cells to rub together to use for anything other than washing and ironing. Intuition, my ass. Whisky?"

"A small one, thank you." Sir Henry didn't look up as he finished working his way through some papers, signing his elegant signature at the bottom every few pages. Draco took a seat in the same armchair Ginny had sat in just that morning, sipping his whisky and stared morosely out of the window, which magically depicted a rainforest where a monkey was swatting at a very large looking snake.

Finally, Sir Henry shuffled his papers and took off his glasses, leaving them hanging on a golden chain around his neck. "Bad morning, Draco? In fact, don't answer that, I've already had Melinda in here complaining about your 'attitude' and 'lack of respect.' You really must keep a hold on that temper of yours, you know, I would like to keep some of my staff in operation. But anyway, it is of little consequence, as you will be out of the office from tomorrow onwards with a new assignment I have for you."

Draco sat up a little straighter at this and fixed Sir Henry with his full attention. "Oh yes? Please say it involves women, fine wine, seven course meals and massages."

Sir Henry chuckled at this. "Actually, yes, well, perhaps not the massages bit. We have had word from Mr Potter."

"Please tell me the speccy git has finally produced some information of worth?"

"Yes, in part. You know of his position as porter at Valsbard Castle, home of the royal family of Russia, the Sokolovs?"

Draco nodded. "Indeed, a cushy job if you as me."

"Well, he has reason to believe that a close family friend of Dimitri Sokolov, King of Russia, is working for the Nightriders, the Russian wizard mafia, and intends to overthrow the Russian monarchy."

Draco raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow. "And how is this our concern?"

"Firstly, the Nightriders have stemmed from what was left of Voldemort's followers since he was killed nearly four years ago now, so there is the moral issue of their British origin. But most importantly, the Nightriders are well known for their belief that Muggles should be ruled by the wizarding community. If they were to somehow to become rulers of Russia, which is a high possibility with their infiltration of the Russian government, they would expose the magical world to Muggles. Muggles at the current time pose little thread to wizards, but with a bit of magical input into the ruling of Muggle armies, particularly Russian, this could have very serious international consequences."

Draco nodded, and despite his carefully schooled features of indifference, those who knew him well were able to see his eyes were sharp as he considered the problem from every angle.

"Obviously, this is based solely on the word of Mr. Potter, but despite your continual lack of respect for the young man, he is a very valued member of our team and we have every reason to trust his information. What we need is someone to get closer to the situation and to the royal family, to assess the threats, and highlight members of the mafia who need to be removed. Solely a research assignment, no action must yet be taken; as you can tell this is a very sensitive matter."

Sir Henry stood up from his desk and took a file from the top draw of his cabinet and handed it to Draco. "Here is a file containing the backgrounds and photographs of every member of the Russian royal family as well as a report from Harry, make sure you read it well before you travel."

Draco glanced down at the thick folder in his hands, unable to quell the excitement building in his stomach, his first true spying project! "So when do I leave? And under what disguise?"

Sir Henry smiled. "Your mother, formally Narcissa Black, is a second cousin of the Russian Queen, Katerina Sokolov. You may know of this distant connection already, although I doubt much attention was paid to it. Your family always highly disapproved of the Russian relatives choice to immerse themselves in Muggle lives, monarchy or not. You are to visit Valsbard castle, under the guise of travelling the world with your new wife, and to re-ignite the connection between your own family and the distant Russian cousins."

Draco raised his eyebrow even higher, "My new wife, Henry? Here was I falsely believing I was a happy bachelor?"

Henry took a sip from his whisky. "Yes, we have a suitable new recruit, recently graduated as a Healer, who will pose as your other half. It is of course essential to your disguise that you maintain appearances; I need not warn you of the consequences of any suspicion among the Russian mafia..."

Draco cast his mind to all the current female members among Law Enforcement. While nothing detrimental could be said about the appearances of the secretaries - he himself had first hand experience of some of their better assets - the female Aurors tended to be brutish and highly unattractive, and a high proportion of them were not even interested in men. He said as much to Sir Henry, glowering at the twinkle he could see in Henry's eye.

"Surely, with such an important assignment you would be able to produce a satisfying marriage performance even with the likes of Milicent Bulstrode?"

Draco glared at Sir Henry, conveying his disgust with a meer look.

Sir Henry chuckled, "There's no need to worry, her name is Ginevra Weasley, a pretty young thing."

Draco felt like he'd been doused in cold water and growled. "Weasley? The littlest Weasley? You must be joking. There is no way I'm going on an assignment with _her_. Weasleys and Malfoys _never_ work together, they're below us. Besides, that mousy little creature I remember from Hogwarts would never be believable as a wife of mine!"

Sir Henry stood up and shuffled his papers, having had enough of the conversation. "The matter is decided Draco, this is not open for discussion. You are to meet Miss Weasley at ten o'clock tomorrow morning at the Apparition hub in Kings Cross. I will have someone to meet you there with your furs; winter at Valsbard castle is not to be trifled with."

XXXXX

Ginny thudded down the stairs of the flat she shared with Luna and another girl from her Healer school, Harriet, wearing loose jogging bottoms and a black strap top. She was mid way through packing as many of her best clothes into her worn suitcase as possible, with growing dismay at how unsuited she would be to life in a palace. On entering the kitchen she saw a dishevelled looking Ron and Hermione brushing soot off their clothes from their recent trip out of the fireplace, and swung them into a big hug.

"I'm going to Russia tomorrow!" She announced by way of introduction, and hurried over to put the kettle on.

"What? But, you've only just started your job, Ginny! Will you be out there with Harry?" Questions were fired at her from the shocked pair. They had got married the year before and were living in a small flat in London, and very happy, to the point Ginny often felt queasy around them.

"Well, you know I can't tell you much, what with the Secrecy act and everything. I know Harry is there, but I think I'm not meant to know him..." She had split up with Harry as soon as he'd left Hogwarts, content with remaining friends despite a couple of advances he made after the war. She knew he would always be just like a brother to her, though at times she did wish she would feel a bit of her infatuation for him as she had during her school years.

"How exciting Ginny! But you must be careful. I do worry about Harry out there in that freezing weather, you will watch out for each other won't you?" Hermione questioned, concerned for her friends' welfare.

She took the steaming cups of tea over to the table and gestured for them to sit down. "Of course. I'll be fine. But tell me, how are you both getting on in your new flat?"

They continued with their light hearted chit chat for a while longer, discussing the antics of Ginny's various brothers. Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes was going from strength to strength, with Fred and George considering opening a second store in the north. Charlie was in and out of the country with his dragon farm, and Bill and Fleur were happily married with a little boy on the way.

Finally, conversation strayed back to her looming trip to Russia. "I can't believe they're sending you out there all on your own, and without any training." Hermione was saying, looking pensive.

"Oh, I'm not going out there alone," Ginny replied, pondering her next few lines, and knowing she'd have to break it to her brother some time that she was going on an extended holiday with his arch enemy. "You see, I'm going with Draco Malfoy."

"You what?" shouted Ron, slamming his mug down on the table and standing up.

"I know, Ron, its not ideal, and God knows I sure as hell don't want to be going with him either, but a job is a job," she spread her hands showing that there was nothing she could do about it. She hadn't seen Draco since their Hogwarts days, but knew of his position within the Ministry and despite his questionable involvement in the war, had been working for the benefit of wizardkind ever since.

"That stuck up brat better keep his hands off you or I'll..."

"You'll what Weasel? Blind me with your ever reddening face?" Draco Malfoy stepped casually out of her fireplace, dressed in impeccable black robes. "Mudblood" he nodded to Hermione.

This sent Ron into a frenzy as he grabbed Draco by the neck and pushed him up against the wall, muttering "What did you call my wife? What did you call my wife? Take that back!"

Ginny decided she ought to step in and forcefully elbowed Ron out of the way, "That's enough Ron! Not in my kitchen!" Then she turned to face Draco, pulled back her arm and punched him hard in the stomach. Hermione let out a brief, admonishing, "Ginny, he's not worth it."

But Ginny wasn't done. "Don't you dare call my best friend that ever again. If you think you can enter my kitchen unannounced and insult my friends you have another thing coming. I have no time for arrogant bastards like you and if we're going to get along for the next couple of weeks your attitude will need to change!"

Draco straightened up and surveyed Ginny coldly, watching as she huffed, eyes flashing, and regained some control on her temper. He admired her petite frame and delicate features, so in contrast with the mess of flaming red hair piled up at the back of her head in a clip and considered what a refreshing change it was to have someone not fawning over his every move. "I couldn't give a damn whether we get along or not" he replied; although this was not entirely true. Aware that he sounded more than a little sulky, he smirked cruelly over at Ron and Hermione. "I think the riff-raff need to leave the house as we have important matters to discuss... wife."

Ron looked ready to murder, but was silenced by a restraining hand by Hermione. "What does he mean by wife, Ginny?"

"Our disguise in Russia is as husband and wife," Ginny replied coolly, glaring at Draco. She had hoped to keep that bit of the assignment quiet. "Ron, Hermione, it's been good to see you, but I have some business to attend to with Malfoy here." She continued after a glare from Ron, "I am perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you, Ron. I'll Owl you guys as soon as I arrive."

After pulling them into another quick hug, she shooed them off into the fireplace.

Turning back to Draco, she saw him lazing against her kitchen table, casually drinking from her own unfinished mug of tea with a smirk on his face. "You know, I always knew Weasels were poor, but I didn't realise you were dirty as well," he said, eyeing Luna's rather large pile of dirty dishes sitting next to the sink.

Ginny reddened, but ignored his comment. "You as well, Malfoy, I'll see you in the morning. Anything you have to say to me can be before we Floo in the morning. Goodnight."

"Weasel, I've come all this way," he whined in his best puppy dog voice which had most girls melting at his feet.

"I don't care. I need to pack. Any future business engagements must be arranged in advance. I'll see you at nine am in your office at the Ministry. We will talk there. Now get out of my house."

Draco looked sulky and fixed her with a hard stare. Finally, he sighed, and reached into gown pocket before pulling out a ring and holding it out to her. "Marry me," he said with a smirk and a dancing light in his eyes.

Ginny was taken off guard for a moment before glaring at him and taking the ring. "In your dreams, Ferret boy," she retorted, although the corner of her mouth twitched slightly as she tried not to laugh. How jealous Pansy Parkinson would be right now!

"So ungrateful," Malfoy drawled in return, before grabbing a fistful of Floo powder and disappearing into the fireplace.

Ginny stared for a while longer as the flames from the fire danced in diamonds in the ring. Surely, the Ministry assignment did not call for such a beautiful and invaluable piece of jewellery?

XXXXX

Ginny's magical alarm woke her from a dream, but when she cast her mind back to it, all she could remember was a pair of light grey eyes. She turned blearily over to the clock, where it read seven am, in blinking gold digits.

Suddenly, she leapt out of bed, catching sight of her packed suitcase and remembering why she was up so especially early. Today, she was going to Russia with no other than the arrogant, spiteful, yet undeniably attractive Draco Malfoy.

**A/N**: I would be grateful for any reviews, good or bad!


	2. The Arrival

Chapter 2: The arrival

The morning in Draco's office started well. They both arrived on time, and despite one snipe Ginny made about the depressing nature of the green and silver decor, the pair managed to work through their folders together in relative harmony. They discussed each member of the Russian family to familiarise themselves with faces and backgrounds. They even shared some brief laughter when a photo of one of the Sokolov daughters came up, depicting a rather large girl attempting to get up onto her horse and causing the poor stable hand to huff and puff at trying to carry her weight.

Then, Draco came across a piece of parchment tucked into a pocket at the back of his folder. It was an opened letter, with a broken wax seal of a badger, and the words 'Valsbard Castle, Home of the Elite' stamped underneath.

Ginny sniggered at this. "I can tell they are Malfoy relatives," she muttered, in slight disgust. She peered over Draco's shoulder to read the letter.

"Dear Mr. Malfoy, I am so pleased to hear from you after all this time," it read, although Draco was unaware of ever having sent a letter in the first place. "I welcome you and your Ginevra to my castle. If she is as lovely as you make her out to be, 'with a Veela-like ability to draw in a man's soul,' she will most certainly be an honoured guest here."

At this Draco growled, damn Henry and his faked letter!

"Your visit falls at the time of our annual Ice Crystal Ball, so I will be sure to reserve you and your beautiful wife a ticket each. My children are very much looking forward to meeting their distant relatives, and I look forward to hearing how Narcissa is; it has been many years since we have heard from her."

Draco detected a slight bitterness in the line.

"Perhaps she would take the trouble to come to Russia as well at some point. I will arrange for one of my staff to collect you at the Moscow apparition hub in the morning of January 21st and will make sure that the guest wing is fully heated and prepared for your arrival. In great anticipation of your visit, Dimitri Sokolov, King of Russia."

"Well, they sound nice enough," was all Ginny had to say in response to that.

Draco was still seething at how his boss had gone ahead and sent the letter and planned the whole trip without even consulting him first. Embarrassed at the words in the letter regarding Ginny, and angry at the feelings they had brought up in him, he snapped. "Yes, although I'm sure they will be hugely disappointed when they see you in the flesh."

Ginny felt stung by this irrational lashing out on Malfoy's part. Although she expected comments like that from him, his snipes recently had been pretty good natured, and at this one she felt struck. "I'm sure not as disappointed as they will be when they realise that the nice man who wrote them a letter is actually an absolute bastard," Ginny replied, angry at the prick of tears she could feel welling behind her eyes. She gathered up her folders, shrank them into her hand bag and grabbed her suitcase out from under the table more roughly than she intended. Not looking Draco in the eye, she said coldly, "see you at the Apparition hub," and walked out the door.

Draco felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach, something he hadn't felt for some time. He chastised himself for this weakness, though by the time he had made up his mind to apologise, Ginny had already long gone.

XXXXX

Their arrival in Moscow and Ginny's fascination with everything even in the Apparition hub left their earlier disagreement forgotten about. She looked around the huge hall adorned with Russian flags and a number of clocks showing the time in different places across the world. Beautiful blond women with grey fur hats and many men in Muggle army clothing swarmed around. She felt a well of excitement at travelling abroad for the first time in many years.

As soon as they stepped into the Arrivals Hall, flashing their passports – Ginny's a fake, of course - at the wizard on the way past, they were met by an elderly man wearing Muggle trousers and a thick fur coat and hat. Wisps of grey hair could be seen underneath. "Are you Mr and Mrs. Malfoy?" he greeted them, in impeccable English.

Ginny controlled a shudder at her new title.

Draco eyed the man suspiciously for a moment, before forcing a smile, and replying in his most commanding tone, "this is us."

"Welcome. I am, Henrik Ivanov, and have a carriage waiting to take you to the Sokolov castle. Please, let me take your bags?"

Even though she wore her thickest cardigan under her robes, and a scarf and gloves, the cold that hit them as they stepped out of the Apparition hub felt like it pierced straight through to Ginny's heart. Glancing at Draco, who looked like an ice God with no apparent reaction to the intense cold, she shrugged on her fur coat and wished she'd thought to put on the boots the Ministry had supplied them rather than shoving them into her bag in distaste.

"Cold, Weaslette?" Draco murmured, as they followed Mr. Ivanov out to the carriage.

"I'm sure your icy heart feels right at home in this climate," she responded.

Draco let out a sound remarkably like a chuckle. "Hmm, it is mildly chilly," was all he said in response.

The carriage was charmed gloriously warm, with leather lined seats and lit by flickering candles in beautiful cut glass holders. Draco and Ginny sat opposite each other and took the mulled wine offered them by Mr. Ivanov before he latched the carriage door shut and disappeared off to the conductor's seat.

Ginny was feeling decidedly nervous. She realised she hadn't felt this way for many years, and scolded herself for being ridiculous. But, the facts were there: she was catapulted into a false life and the only person to call an ally was rude and abnoxious and hated her on top of all that. Then, there was the unquestionable danger of the Russian wizard mafia, and she and Draco were being thrown straight into the lion's den.

Draco was in an unusually good mood, and took a deep breath of air smelling of fresh leather and fur. He hadn't realised how much he'd been wanting to get out of the busy hubbub of the Ministry until he felt the delicious freedom – or at least partial freedom – as he escaped out into the cold air of Russia. He looked over at Ginny, who was staring out at the bleak, white landscape rushing past the window. Her curls of lively red hair spilled over the shoulders of her forest green robes. She was, at the present, Mrs. Malfoy, and looking at her as this, without any of the Weasley connections, Draco suddenly understood how she'd captured the attentions of so many men at Hogwarts and had undoubtably had many admirers since. She looked slightly apprehensive and he felt a rush of affection for what was the nearest person he could call a friend in this forbidding world.

"Weasel, we're going to have to get out of this habit of stony silence if we're going to last a day out here in our disguise as a newly married couple."

Ginny looked over at him, startled out of her melancholy thoughts. "Well, calling me Weasel isn't a great start either..."

"What would you rather? Darling? My one and only sugarplum?" Draco smirked.

Ginny gave him a brief look of horror before twitching a smile. "Is 'Ginny' too much to ask, light of my life?" she replied.

Draco laughed. A deep, real laugh and the first she'd ever heard off him. Funnily enough, it didn't seem all that strange. He ruined it all though with his next line, however. "Yes, 'Ginny' is far too common for a wife of mine. I'm going to call you Gin."

"So I can remind you of a nice Gin and Tonic every time you think of me?"

"Quite, it brings up far more pleasant feelings than 'Weasley'."

"Well, 'Draco', is horribly boring and can't be shortened to anything. If I start calling you 'Drakie Poo,' like Pansy Parkinson used to, I might be sick."

"Hey! That's one of my friends you're slating." He said, trying and failing to look injured.

"Like you've never said a bad word about any of mine! Besides, if you truly call Pansy a friend of yours, you fall a long way down in my estimations."

"Well, she is wonderfully dedicated in her adoration. And number one fan in the Draco Malfoy Appreciation Society."

"I'm glad to know you value the important qualities in people, then. I suppose being 'genuine', 'kind' and 'honest' is of little relevance to someone as shallow as yourself."

"You wound me," Draco replied. "I'm a very deep person, with all sorts of hidden layers."

Ginny had nothing to reply to that, as over the last two days had begun to suspect it was true. They lapsed once more into a comfortable silence for the remainder of the journey, Ginny feeling much less nervous now that Draco had lightened the atmosphere. She suppressed some laughter at that thought.

XXXXX

Their arrival to Valsbard castle was somewhat of an event; Draco suspected it was rare for the family to get new visitors. Dimitri, the King, was an ageing man, but still had his full crop of dark brown hair to match his even darker eyes.

"You must be Draco!" Dimitri announced, as the carriage door was opened by Mr. Ivanov, letting in a blast of wintery air. He walked over and took Draco's hand into a firm shake. "It is a pleasure to welcome you into our home. Come inside, this cold must be quite a shock to you Southerners!" He gave Ginny a brief peck on each cheek, taking her upper arms in a firm hold as he did so, before ushering them inside.

The hallway they were lead into was vast, with a white marble floor interspersed with diamond shaped black obsidian tiles. House elves carrying silver platters of juice and wine glasses stood by a grand staircase, which forked in the middle leading round to different wings of the house.

Katerina, the Queen, welcomed them inside the hall, wearing beautiful cream robes embroidered with gold. She reminded Draco strongly of his mother, even though they were not closely related. She must have been well over fifty, but still retained a youthful face with beautiful golden hair and almond shaped eyes. She and Dimitri made a striking and imposing King and Queen.

"Draco, you look so much like your mother," Katerina began, "and this must be your lovely wife, Ginevra." She turned towards Ginny then, but the warmth from her eyes seemed to disappear as she took in Ginny's unruly red locks of hair, which had escaped her smoothing charms after all their travelling, the smattering of freckles over her nose and plain emerald robes.

Ginny quailed slightly under her stare, but looked back at her with her chin held high and the fire of anger lighting up her eyes. Despite how much she hated women like the one before her, she realised how important it was to maintain their appearance. "A pleasure, your majesty," she muttered, and lowered her head slightly.

Of their four children only two were present, Alisa and Janna. Draco and Ginny recognised them both from their photographs. Janna was the slightly overweight one, a little younger than the two English witches, and was smiling so kindly that Ginny felt guilty about her shared laughter with Draco earlier.

Alisa, on the other hand, was quite a beauty, having inherited her mother's long blond hair and high cheekbones. She had deep dark eyes that had a more close resemblance to Dimitri and was eyeing Draco from under her heavily mascara'd eyelashes. Ginny disliked her from the start.

"These are two of my daughters, Alisa and Janna," Queen Katerina continued. Both girls smiled from next to their mother. "My eldest daughter, Elena, has already married a prince from the West, but will be returning with her husband this evening, as will my son, who is spending the day in Moscow. Dimitri and I have some business to attend to this afternoon, but I believe either Alisa or Janna will be happy to show you to your quarters."

Alisa stepped forward immediately. "Of course, Mother," she gushed. "Come this way." She sent Draco a coy smile before leading the way up the marble staircase.

"Good. Janna, go and tell Alexander that the horses will need to be locked in. I believe a blizzard is on the way." Katerina turned back to her guests. "We will see the two of you at seven pm for supper in the Great Hall. I'm sure you will want a rest now after your long day," she finished.

"You are most kind to put us up in your wonderful home," Draco added to the King and Queen, oozing charm.

Katerina smiled serenely at Draco, then turned to one of the house elves. "Send up some late lunch to Draco and Ginevra's suite." Then, the couple departed out of the front door, letting in a brief flurry of snowflakes.

XXXXX

The suite turned out to be twice the size of Ginny's flat. A beautiful four poster bed stood in the middle of the bedroom, the bed spread a satin navy blue, matching the curtains. The walls were painted a pale turquiose colour, with cream embellishments by the ceiling and around the curtains, and a chandelier which threw a warm light around the room.

Ginny noticed a balcony outside the French windows, complete with wrought iron table and chairs, although judging by the icicles dripping from the table she imagined it was not the season to be enjoying any sunshine outside.

"I hope this will be suitable for you," Alisa was saying, barely glancing at Ginny. "If there is anything you desire, just ring this bell," she continued, gesturing towards a silver bell in the shape of a woman in a large balldress, "and the house elves will come immediately. Alternatively, my room is just across the hall..." She rested a hand on Draco's arm.

"Thank you, I think we have everything," Ginny said curtly.

"Of course. Would you like a tour of the castle, or perhaps Ginevra would like to rest before supper?"

Draco looked over at Ginny, her lips tightened in what he now recognised as barely controlled anger, and amusement lit up his eyes. He was tempted to say he'd like to have a look round with Alisa, leaving Ginny in their quarters, just to see her reaction, but decided it was not worth an hour in this appalling woman's presence. "Thank you so much for your offer, Alisa, but I am also quite weary, so perhaps tomorrow?"

Alisa removed her hand from Draco's arm and drifted to the door. "It would be my pleasure," she replied, and disappeared from sight.

"What a charming young lady," Draco commented, after a moment's silence.

Ginny glared at him. "I think she's made her intentions clear. Looks like you've got yourself some entertainment for the rest of our visit."

Draco smiled a moment longer, prolonging her false beliefs, before continuing. "I shouldn't concern yourself, Weasley. I am not one to commit adultery, real marriage or not. Besides, I've had my fair share of women like her, and have long since tired of them."

Ginny felt a knot release in her stomach she hadn't even realised was there. I _am_ _not_ feeling jealous over Draco Malfoy, she told herself. "She's a nasty piece of work, that's for sure."

Draco moved over to the table by the window where a silver platter rested bursting with sandwiches, fresh fruit and drinks and helped himself. "No, just bored. I wonder if the older siblings have any more brain cells to rub together. Salmon and cream cheese sandwich?"

"Thanks," Ginny replied, reaching out to take the proffered sandwich.

They munched in silence for a couple of minutes, Ginny's eyes moving restlessly around the room, her notice not escaping the fact that there was only a double bed for the two of them. Not wanting to consider this at present, her thoughts drifted to the oncoming formal supper, the meeting of the rest of the family and her lack of appropriate attire. Inwardly, she cursed the Ministry and their leaving her no time to prepare appropriately for this visit.

"Before I forget," Draco said, interrupting her increasingly despairing train of thought. "I took the liberty of selecting a set of dress robes for you from my mother's wardrobe before I left. Considering your family's record for showing off clothing lines from previous centuries, complete with mothballs, I believe you'll be needing some more clothes fit for a king? Excuse the pun."

Ginny was not sure whether to be affronted at this insult or grovelling at his feet for his consideration.

"I take it your goldfish expression is one of immense gratitude?" Draco supplied, mild amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Hmmph," was all Ginny could come up with. "Appearances should not be so important to you and your sort. I find the nicest people are those who look for beauty within, not without."

"Another pearl of wisdom from Miss Weasley. Would you like to see the dresses?" Draco eyed Ginny shamelessly up and down. "I imagined you were roughly the same size as my mother, though you're maybe a little on the short side..."

XXXX

**A/N**. Characters belong to JK Rowling.

So sorry for the massive wait! I've been away for the last month and had planned to get this one up before I left, but never got around to properly finishing it. Hopefully the next update should be quicker.

Sorry its still a bit boring at the moment, I need to build up my ridiculous number of AU characters before anything exciting can start happening...

Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed, they make it all worth the effort: **roni2010, Alexis Prink, alexis, AngeliqueBlack and Ellen** (I'm not a spy myself so have no idea what they can and can't tell friends, but, my AU...).

If anyone would like to come up with a name for the brother, the last of the four Sokolov children – Russian, please - just write it in a review and I'll pick my favourite. Hint: he'll turn out to be a pretty nasty character... If not, just let me know what you think of the chapter!


	3. The Family

Chapter 3: The Family

Ginny glanced in the mirror one last time as the house elf knocked on the door announcing their escort to supper. She was wearing chocolate brown tight fitting robes with gold embroidery on bust section (a little low cut for Ginny's liking) that had belonged to Narcissa Malfoy.

"Malfoy," she said, "this is ridiculous! I look like I'm going to a ball, not some family dinner!"

Draco emerged from the bathroom, letting out a ball of steam. Ginny breathed in the scent she had begun to associate with Draco, a fresh, citrusy smell, and admired his set of expensively cut black dress robes with silver embellishments. Well, at least that made the two of them.

He stopped short when he caught sight of Ginny, wearing his mothers dress and gold earrings with her hair tamed and put up in a clip at the back of her head. She looked like a different woman.

"This is no Weasley family dinner, I can assure you. We should get going." He offered her his arm. "You look wonderful, by the way."

Ginny could feel her face heating up, and hoped he couldn't see while he was walking next to her. "Well, it is very kind of your mother to lend me these. I must write to thank her."

"That would perhaps not be the best idea," Draco murmered quietly, aware that they could be overheard for they had entered a corridor, lit only by flaming torches in brackets. "She's not entirely aware of her generosity..."

"You didn't tell her?" Ginny screeched, stopping abruptly next to a tapestry of wild horses.

"Well, no. It would require a lot of explaining and I couldn't be bothered. Don't worry, she won't even notice. I'll thank her profusely when we get back and assure her they solved a life or death situation."

Ginny spluttered, knowing that there was nothing she could do about it now. "Well, you could have told me. I would never have worn them if I'd known!"

"Exactly, now please get a move on or we're going to be late."

They descended the marble staircase and emerged into the hallway where a house elf dressed in a black butler's suit awaited them and lead them down a maze of corridors into a vast dining room.

"The Great Hall, sire."

The hall reminded Draco strongly of the one at Hogwarts, but smaller, with the only thing missing being that fool Professor Dumbledore sitting at the high table.

The majority of their hosts were already waiting when they arrived, standing behind their chairs. Six pairs of deep brown eyes watched them enter the room. Draco smiled at them casually, refusing to acknowledge that they were a little late. "Good evening," he said, following the elf to his and Ginny's seats.

"Good evening," Katerina addressed them. "We're just waiting for Dimitri, he's finishing a drink with one of his guests from the Russian Ministry. I hope you are pleased with your rooms?"

"Very much so, thank you," Ginny replied, "the decor is beautiful."

Katerina cast her iron stare over to Ginny, and seemed to approve of her change in attire as she smiled tightly. "I'm glad it is to your liking. I personally decided on the themes to go in each room when Dimitri and I moved in. Let me introduce you to the rest of my family. Sitting opposite you, Ginevra, is Elena, my eldest daughter," she gestured over to another beautiful blond, who looked to be in her late twenties.

Elena smiled widely at Ginny and Draco, her silver earrings glittering in the candlelight. "It's wonderful to meet you both. I can't wait to hear all about England; my fiancée here, Alexei, tells me it's a beautiful country."

Alexei was broader and shorter than the Sokolov family, with strong muscles filling out his chest and had unusual blue eyes that seemed to pierce straight into Ginny's soul. He smiled charmingly and held out his hand for them to shake. "A pleasure."

Katerina cut in. "And lastly, next to you, Ginevra, is my son, Vladimir. You've already met Alisa and Janna of course, next to Draco."

Vladimir was the spitting image of his father, though slimmer and with eyes more deeply sunken giving them a darker shade almost as if there was no colour in them at all. He turned his head to the two visitors and smiled tightly at Ginny, but didn't say a word.

At that point, when the silence threatened to become awkward, Dimitri entered the room and took his place at the head of the table opposite his wife, Katerina.

"So sorry for keeping you, my colleague had some pressing matters to discuss." He appeared weary, but shook off his look within minutes to resume his placid and charming manner of earlier that day.

Ginny saw Vladimir watch as a balding man passed the door to the dining room and didn't turn his attention back to the table until hearing the front door slam.

Vladimir turned, then, to Ginny. "I see you're quite an English Rose, Mrs. Malfoy," he said, giving her a lopsided grin, his eyes flickering briefly down her frame. His voice was slightly oily, and mocking.

Ginny felt a brief tremor of apprehension pass down her spine. She forced a smile. "Thank you."

"How long do you plan to stay here in Valsbard castle?"

"A week, or two at the most."

"Marvellous, I hope we shall become well acquainted in that time."

Ginny rather hoped otherwise, and decided to change tack. "It seems a beautiful area you live in. Lovely and remote."

He twisted a smile. "Yes, you could describe it as that. Did you know many die here in winter? It's the blizzards; travellers underestimate the power of wind and wilderness. They lose all sense of direction. The ice and crevasses, beautiful in the day, become death traps come nightfall." He spoke with fascination and amusement.

Ginny stifled a shiver, feeling like he was trying to threaten her. She fiddled nervously with her 'wedding ring' under the table.

It was at that moment that Elena and Katerina joined the conversation.

"Vlad, there's no need to unnerve our visitors!" Elena said. She smiled warmly at Ginny.

Katerina cut in. "It's just best to stay indoors at night and in blizzards, and make sure one of us or our guides are with you if you decide to take a visit around the countryside. It's all too easy to lose your way in the snow."

"I still get confused," Elena commented, "even after twenty eight years of living here!"

XXXX

Draco had been trapped in conversation for the last ten minutes by Alisa, who was unfortunately sitting next to him. He suspected this was not simply down to chance.

"So, Draco, tell me again what it's like in London? Is it true the Queen of England is a Muggle? I find that far too bizarre to get my head around. Imagine! Being ruled by Muggles!"

Draco sighed under his breath and dug his hands into his palms to keep his temper under control. How foolish was this girl?

"Yes, I don't need to imagine it, thank you, I'm living it."

At this point, Janna, the sweet girl, cut in. "Alisa, I don't think it's so bad. Mother is spending most of her time pretending to be a Muggle, so what's the difference really?"

Alisa gave her sister an icy glare. "Huh, it makes all the difference. When I'm Queen I'm going to..."

"When you're Queen?" Draco cut in. "Are you marrying your brother sometime soon?" He couldn't resist.

Alisa's face reddened and she stuck her lip out into a very unattractive pout. Janna stifled a giggle. "No! When I marry a Prince, don't be so silly!"

"My apologies." Draco realised he ought to redeem himself slightly, after all, he was here for work purposes, however insufferable this girl was being. "I'm sure you'll make a wonderful Queen. So, Janna, tell me. You like riding, am I correct?"

Janna's face brightened, "Oh yes, Mr Malfoy..."

"Call me, Draco, please."

"Yes, I love riding. We have some beautiful horses here. Thunder, she's my favourite, a beautiful grey mare. I'll show you them all tomorrow. I believe mother has a tour of the castle grounds planned for you and Ginevra."

Dimitri, having finished his conversation with Alexei, Elena's fiancée, spoke up. "I'm sure Draco and Ginevra would love to see the horses, but for a few minutes only, Janna." He looked fondly over at his daughter and whispered conspiratorially to Draco. "Don't let her get carried away!"

Draco nodded to him and chuckled politely.

"Alexei, did I hear correctly that you've been to England a few times?" Draco addressed Elena's fiancée, sitting opposite him.

Alexei turned his beautiful blue eyed stare over to Draco and smiled broadly. "Oh yes," he said, in an accent Draco couldn't quite identify, "I go over there a couple of times a year, on business. My country has close relations with the English ministry, and I speak to the foreign correspondence on a regular basis. I've also met Cornelius Fudge on a number of occasions, although I can't say I'm too taken by him!"

Draco was intrigued by what business this Eastern European Prince would have with the English Ministry, but realised this wasn't the time or place to probe further. "Dear Cornelius, I'm sorry his reputation extends across the channel."

"What is it you do, Draco?"

Now was the first time Draco had had to lie, and he realised it would be the first of many. "I work for the English wizarding bank, Gringotts. I spend most of my days trying to get the blasted goblins to show some respect."

Alexei chuckled, "Oh yes, I'm so glad we got rid of them in the eighteen hundreds. More trouble than they're worth, I'd say."

Draco smiled charmingly, glad to have company other than the simpering Sokolov daughters. He glanced sideways at Ginny, who appeared deep in conversation with Elena. Her hands were clasped in her lap and her eyes were bright from conversation. At that moment she sat back and laughed happily, unconsciously tucking a stray locket of golden red hair behind her ear. He wondered if she realised how beautiful she was.

XXXX

Ginny glanced down as a lavish dessert was brought out by the house elves, a meringue and cream topped with all sorts of colourful berries. She wondered where these came from given the white specks of snow sticking to the pitch dark window outside.

She'd been wrapped up in conversation with Elena, surprised at how easily conversation came with the older girl, and how down to earth she was considering her upbringing. It sounded like she was desperate to get out of the castle, and was excited to only have a few weeks to wait.

"Yes, when I move to the city with Alexei I'm hoping to start my own clothing chain. Mother disapproves of my ideas, calling a working woman common, but I'm finally old enough to do what I like!" Her beautiful face widened into a smile.

"Ooo, that sounds wonderful," Ginny remarked, "what kind of clothes have you been making?"

"Well, I'm trying to get into the niche for young adults. All the clothing stores available at the moment are aimed at rich older women, and although we're all forced into these clothes from time to time, I was hoping to create some good quality, but affordable clothes for the likes of you and I. Something fashionable, but a bit more classy than those found inside Teen Witch Weekly."

"That's such a good idea Elena! I remember my days at Hogwarts, all the girls had such trouble finding ball dresses and robes that weren't either ridiculously expensive or old fashioned."

"Well, I've got some designs here if you're interested to see any tomorrow? It would be good to get an opinion of an English witch as that's one of the markets I'm aiming at, with all your high society balls."

Ginny decided to keep quiet that she tried to avoid these events at all costs. "Of course I would, though I can't say my opinion is worth a huge amount!"

"Oh, and what are you going to wear to our Ice Crystal Ball on Friday? Mother tells me she's reserved you and Draco tickets?"

Ginny dragged her mind back to letter they'd received from Dimitri. Was it really just that morning that they were in Draco's office? "Well, I was hoping Draco would take me into Moscow one day this week, so I can find something there," Ginny replied, thinking quickly, glancing guiltily over at Draco.

Draco caught her eye and gave her the slightest of smiles, but enough to make Ginny's heart flutter strangely. Stop that, she told herself. It must be my nerves.

"...come with Alexei and I on Thursday?" Ginny dragged her attention back to Elena, quickly trying to fill in the blanks.

"Oh, well that sounds perfect. It would be wonderful for someone to show me where the best shops are."

At that moment there was a loud tinkle of a bell, held delicately by Katerina. Everyone hushed into silence and stood up, so Ginny quickly followed suit, smoothing her soft brown robes flat as she did so.

"Dimitri and I are retiring to bed, we wish you all a good night."

Ginny went to find Draco as everyone moved out of the Great Hall, but was intercepted by Vladimir. He found her eyes with a penetrating stare. "Would you like to come to the library? We usually make use of the drinks cabinet following family dinners, without the regulation of the King and Queen."

Ginny glanced up at the clock, seeing it was gone eleven, and felt a deep weariness set in. She stammered under Vladimir's watchful gaze, "Oh, well, it's very kind of you to offer, but I'm feeling quite weary after all our travelling."

Vladimir stepped closer, "You don't want to drink, Ginevra? I can show you a fantastic vodka, brewed here under the castle walls."

Draco took that moment to step up, taking Ginny's arm and pulling her back a fraction. "Shall we go to bed, Gin?"

Ginny felt herself blushing what she imagined was a very unattractive shade of crimson at what Draco had just implied, but took the escape he was offering, feeling her temper flare slightly. "Er, yes. Lets go up. Goodnight Vladimir."

Vladimir took her hand and kissed it, his eyes never leaving her face and she and Draco moved upstairs.

XXXX

Upstairs, Ginny could feel the tension rolling off Draco. And she was irritated at him as well, for reasons she couldn't really explain.

"I'm going to bed," was all Draco said as he disappeared into the bathroom and emerged in navy blue and grey pajamas. He unfolded the covers on the left hand side of the bed and promptly rolled over and presented his back to her.

Ginny was gobsmacked. She had no idea what on Earth had she done to deserve such a reaction. As far as she was aware the evening had gone pretty well, aside for a few odd characters, or one anyway: Vladimir. She went into the bathroom and changed into her own, flowery cream pajamas was angry at the prick of regret she felt at not choosing her nightwear more carefully. _I'll wear what I want to bed, _she chided herself.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she stomped round to the right hand side of the bed and curled herself under the covers as far away from Draco as was possible. Luckily for her, this was quite a distance considering the vast size of it.

It was a while before Ginny fell asleep, listening to the sound of the wind whistling under the balcony door, and the occasional tinkle as icicles shattered against the glass panes. Draco made no sound at all from the other side of the bed.

As she was drifting off, she thought she saw a flickering light pass the door to their suite, but could quite rouse enough energy to consider it further.

**A/N**: I'm so sorry for the ridiculous wait. New job, new house got in the way.

Thank you again to my reviewers, assuming you are still reading this a year later of course: **Ich bin ein Schmetterling, Jene, NinjaHarryPotter4life, TaylorMyaTalyorMya, roni2010, HelenaG, Ezriella, bluelover13, laura, MissMyrtlemay. HelenaG**, thank you for your comments, I realise there would never be a King and Queen of Russia, it'll probably add to a whole long list of inaccuracies! **Ich bin ein Schmetterling, **I've gone with 'Vladimir' as you suggested, I think it suits him well.

You'll have read that D&G will be going to Moscow at some point, so if anyone's been, any nice details I could put in would be much appreciated...


	4. The Castle

Chapter 4: The Castle

_The wind whipped Ginny's hair around her face, masking her eyes every now and then from the grey and desolate wilderness around her. Confusion and panic filled her as she raced through the grounds, frantically trying to find any trace of human existence. She caught a glimpse of the green robes of a Slytherin ahead, and hope bubbled within her._

_She kept looking back, over her shoulder, though as to what she was looking for she couldn't quite remember. All she knew was that she mustn't be found._

_She began to approach the hunched form of the Slytherin ahead of her; she could see now it was a boy, with dark jagged hair that reminded her slightly of Harry. He hadn't heard her approach._

"_Help!" she screamed into the wind. "Help me, please!"_

_She was nearly there now, the confused time warp of the dream spiralling her towards her destination._

_He turned and stood upright. Unaffected by the bitter sting of rain that slashed Ginny's face, a small smile appeared on his perfect lips. It was then that he looked her straight in the eyes. His dark eyes flashed red._

"_No!" Ginny screamed, but she knew no one would hear._

_Next, she blinked, and found herself inside a tight wooden chamber. Darkness enveloped her completely. She couldn't breathe, and her lungs were burning amid the panic. She slammed her arms onto the coffin lid above her, feeling the scratch of the wood splinter her hands._

_She felt a hand lightly brush her shoulder..._

Ginny sucked in the chilled air in a great 'whoosh', and launched herself upright. She felt soft, cool sheets crisp around her as she struggled to understand where she was in the darkness.

It all flooded back to her: Russia, the mission, the Sokolovs, Malfoy. She turned her head to the left and saw Draco's apparently sleeping form. He was lying on his back, with his arms wrapped tight around the bedsheets on top of him.

Her breathing was quick and she scraped her damp hair off her neck, struggling to let go of the last clutches of her nightmare.

Emotion overwhelmed her with the memories of her first year at Hogwarts. They were always suppressed, but never quite forgotten. She brushed some panicky tears from her cheeks, and spoke to herself in her head. _It's ok Gin, it was a long time ago. You're safe in bed here._ She thought it slightly ironic that her weak form of safety came from a Malfoy lying in the bed next to her.

She lay back down in the feathery pillows, and glanced back over at Draco. His emotionless face was like marble in the dim moonlight. His eyes were shut and his silvery hair was lightly mussed around his face, his eyelashes long and leaving light shadows on his cheekbones.

With a final ridiculous thought about how he should perhaps have taken up a modelling career for 'Teen Witch Weekly', she let herself drift back down into sleep.

XXXX

Draco was, however, not sleeping. He'd woken minutes earlier to hear Ginny tossing and turning under the covers, and brief murmers of fear escaping her. He'd looked over and seen a glittering tear track across her sleeping face.

He felt anxiety tug within him, and after a few minutes of indecision, reached silently across the gap between them and gently brushed her shoulder with his hand.

Very swiftly, he'd returned his hand to its original position across his chest, closed his eyes once more, and listened as she started upright in the bed. His heart was hammering but he forced his breathing to remain slow and steady.

He could still feel the warmth of her skin on his fingers, and he spent a few more moments wondering whether he ought to tell her he was awake, as she was clearly quite distressed. His pride got in the way, however, there was no way he cared about the girl, and he didn't want her thinking he'd grown soft. After a couple of minutes, it appeared she'd composed herself, as she lay back down and her breathing evened once again.

He told himself he'd only woken her because she was keeping him awake, and dismissed the brief pangs of compassion he had felt. It was a while before sleep engulfed him once again.

XXXX

The morning sun highlighted drifting dust motes as it filtered through a gap in the navy satin curtains. Ginny squinted her eyes against the brightness, as she stretched lavishly in the smooth bedding. Draco was still sleeping in the same position he had been in many hours earlier. The nightmare twinged the back of her memory, but the fear she had felt at the time seemed ridiculous now.

She looked down at her silver watch, one of the few treasures she'd had handed down from her mother. It was a beautiful thing, worthy of a Malfoy, and if she looked closely enough she could still see the tiny engraved 'Aurelius' family crest.

It was half past eight in the morning, and she recalled Katerina telling her they'd meet at nine for breakfast.

She forced herself out of bed into the chilly bedroom air. Why make a castle of marble in the frozen wastes of Russia, she wondered, it was destined never to get warm.

Cranking up the shower to its highest temperature, she let the hot water prepare her for the day to come.

Draco was standing by the window when she emerged from the bathroom, his hair lit up by the sun like a halo.

"Morning," he said.

Ginny dragged a towel through her damp hair, wary of how he would react after his icy mood last night. He seemed cheerful enough though, so she decided to take a chance.

"Morning," she said brightly. "Sleep well?"

He gave her an unfathomable look, and it felt like he was staring straight through into her soul. "Like a baby," was his response. He looked back out of the window. "Lovely day for a stroll through the Russian wasteland."

Ginny allowed herself to crack a wry smile. "Hmm. I guess we can cross 'getting lost in a blizzard' from our list of potential death traps."

"Absolutely. In first place remains 'polar bear snack time', closely followed by 'murder by Prince Vladimir'. Such a cheerful chappie."

Ginny laughed.

There was a knock on the door, and the house elf from yesterday appeared. "Breakfast is served, sir and madam."

XXXX

When Draco and Ginny emerged into the dining room, only Elena and Katerina were present. House elves were bustling around with eggs, toast, fruit and anything else you could possibly want to eat.

"Morning," Katerina greeted them.

Elena smiled widely and gave them a brief wave.

"Please sit down and help yourself to anything that takes your fancy. Timothy! Please bring Draco and Ginevra something warm to drink."

A butler appeared at Draco's elbow as he took a seat next to Ginny. "Tea or coffee, master and missus?"

They both ordered tea and started to help themselves.

"Did you both sleep well?" Elena asked.

"Very well, thank you," Ginny responded, missing the second brief glance Draco gave her. "It seems the storm from last night has died down."

"Yes, thank goodness. It looks like a lovely day now."

The sun was pouring through the floor to ceiling French windows, and was added to by the dazzling reflection of the snow.

"It's a perfect day for a walk around the grounds," Draco added.

"Yes," Katerina responded. "Elena has kindly agreed to show you around. I would myself, but the snow chills my ankles. Janna is out with the horses at the moment, so will I'm sure enjoy taking that part of it herself."

"Thank you. Where are the rest of the family?"

"The men are having a meeting in the drawing room at the moment. One of the government officials is here, I believe. Alisa is still in bed probably, she claims she needs her beauty sleep. I, however call it laziness."

XXXX

After breakfast, Elena took Ginny and Draco into a cloakroom just off the front hall. The room was lined from floor to ceiling with fur coats, boots, gloves and even what looked like fur underwear.

"Don't let the sunshine fool you," she commented, and handed Draco some large fur lined boots.

Draco crinkled his nose up and eyed them in distain.

Elena noticed his look, and laughed. "Don't worry, Draco, I'll make sure we're not seen! Trust me, you'll be wanting them."

Elena scooped her shiny blond hair back off her face into a grey fur lined hat.

After another ten minutes, and a little more complaining, they were all wrapped up. Draco felt like he was going to die of heat exhaustion, and made sure they all were aware of it, until Ginny finally snapped and lightly hit him on the back of the head with her stray glove.

"Stop complaining or I'll throw you outside in your pajamas!" She said, exasperated.

Elena burst into giggles, and opened the front door.

The blast of freezing air that hit them quickly shut Draco up. He looked back over moodily at the two girls, watching the sunlight play with the strands of golden red hair that flicked across Ginny's face.

Elena watched Draco sulk and whispered quietly to Ginny, "Honestly, the things we put up with!"

Their tour through the grounds was enjoyable. Draco found the sunshine, and the laughter of the two girls lifted his spirits. He couldn't believe it was only yesterday that they'd been back in dreary England. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Draco's thoughts returned to their mission. As of yet, he'd had little to go on to report back to Sir Henry. King Dimitri seemed pleasant enough, and although the blasted Prince Vladimir was a miserable bastard, there was no evidence at all of any connection with the Nightriders.

There were, however, a number of meetings taking place with various Russian countrymen, or 'government officials' as Katrina so vaguely put it. He supposed it was normal for business meetings to take place at one's own home when you were a King, but Draco realised that he'd have to get himself invited in on one, and win over the trust of the men of the household. He smiled at this thought: winning people's trust was what he did best.

The castle was much bigger than Draco had originally thought, with many different entrances, all guarded by very tall Russian men, who were wearing what appeared to be fur dresses. At one point they passed a small outbuilding of grey stone, complete with a chimney from which curls of smoke were escaping into the wintry air.

"What's in there, Elena?" Draco questioned.

Elena turned towards him and followed his gaze. "Oh, thats just Vlad's study. He likes to separate his business matters from the castle. I would show you around, but I'd probably be the reciprocant of one of his black moods..."

Draco's interest was piqued instantly. _I have to get in there, _he thought. Instead, he chuckled. "I'm sure it's hugely dull, don't worry Elena. It's something I've come to find in England, anything connected to the government is an insomniac's cure."

XXXX

By the time they got to the stables, Draco's attention was beginning to wane. To top it off, Janna had just emerged into the sunshine, holding a saddle and a bar of what looked like soap in the other hand. He had a feeling they would be here a while.

"Good morning!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Can I introduce you to the horses?"

Ginny looked back at Draco then, and gave him a brilliant smile. Her cheeks were tinted red, and her eyes were lit up to a golden tone in the sunshine. She was obviously enjoying the fresh air and Elena's company. She looked beautiful, and Draco felt himself smile back.

He admired the string of beautiful white horses that were lined up in the courtyard of stables. Janna knew them all by name, though how she knew which was which, he had no idea. They were all huge, white beasts, with kind looking eyes, and they poked their heads out over the stable doors as Janna came by with mints in her hand.

At the end of the courtyard, they reached a final horse, which stood out not because of its beauty, or its fierce blue eyes, but because of its dark mahogany coat, shining in the sun which filtered through the hatch. Puffs of fog blew out from its nostrils and dissipated into the freezing air.

"This one's my Thunder," Janna announced proudly. "Father got him for me for my twenty first birthday."

Ginny looked as if she was in heaven. "Can I stroke him, Janna?"

"Of course, give him a mint! He may look fierce and majestic but he's a big baby really. Aren't you?" she added, giving him a hefty pat on the nose.

Ginny slipped her hand out of her glove, and let her it slide down his soft velvety neck. "He's a beauty," she said quietly, smiling.

Draco found himself watching her, a light giggle escaping her lips as Thunder whickered in happiness at receiving the mint. Some red curls had escaped from her coat and lightly swung around her face in the breeze.

"Do you ride, Draco?" Elena questioned him.

Draco shivered slightly at the thought. "I learnt once, when I was a boy. But brooms are far more efficient if you ask me. They actually do what they're told!"

Elena laughed. "I'll agree with you on that one! How about Ginevra, she looks very at home with the horses?"

Draco felt a moments panic. He had assumed Ginny hadn't ridden, but with the way she was acting now, he wasn't entirely sure. He coughed quietly a moment, buying himself some time.

Thankfully, Ginny turned and subtly cut in. "I've never ridden myself. I'd love to learn one day though."

"There's a hint if I've ever heard one, Draco. You should get her a horse for Christmas!"

Ginny's cheeks turned slightly pink, and she suddenly seemed very interested in her glove.

Draco was spared from answering once again by Janna. "You're welcome to ride one of ours, Ginevra. I'll teach you. Helena, over there, is especially gentle. She'd be perfect for a beginner."

Ginny's eyes lit up again. "Oh, I'd love to if we get a chance, Janna."

Elena excused herself then, claiming she wanted to get a little work done before lunch. "You'll be ok finding your way back to the castle won't you?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes, absolutely. It's a little hard to lose I imagine." Draco replied.

"Thank you so much for showing us around, Elena, you have a wonderful home."

They stayed a few more minutes with Janna, then Draco gave Ginny a pointed look. Now was the perfect time to do some exploring of their own.

**A/N**: I was going to add a little more to this chapter, but then realised that you guys would probably want it now rather than in another couple of weeks. So I'm afraid you just missed out on a cliffhanger, and apologise if this is a little boring...

I didn't get as many reviews for the last one – perhaps I didn't deserve them after taking such a long time to update :S. I'm sorry about that. But thanks as always to **avidficreader, roni2010, foxyrach, **see I'm updating :), and **NelenaCalden, **yes, there will be some romance later on, don't worry. You guys really keep me going!


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